CONTRIBUTIONS TO HOME RULE FUND

The Butte Miner, Butte, 1912-12-13, p.8

Summary

Sub-head: "Committee Makes Report of the List of Donations for the Year — Much Money Given." Year-end 1912 report of Butte contributions to the **Irish parliamentary fund** for Home Rule. Soliciting committee: Patrick Conlon, John J. O'Meara, James H. Lynch, Charles H. Gallagher, P. J. Brophy. **Full donor list with dollar amounts (cash, 1912 dollars):** - $250 — John D. Ryan - $50 — C. F. Kelley, A. J. Davis, John J. O'Meara, M. J. Connell Co., T. J. Nerny, Symon's Dry Goods Co. - $25 — C. J. Kelly, Thomas Lavell, F. H. Cooney, James H. Lynch, Patrick Conlon, Mrs. M. Caplice Rockwood, P. J. Brophy, Charles H. Gallagher - $10 — Edward Hickey, L. S. Cohn Co., Phil Goodwin, Marco J. Medin, Larry Duggan, Phil T. Dunn, G. A. Lauzier, J. A. Clifford, Peter Breen, Dr. Maginn, John G. Holland, Joe Riley, D. J. Fitzgerald, W. M. Tuohy, Judge Michael Donlan, Dr. Scott, **T. J. Walker**, Harry Thompson, W. J. Sewell, John Gleason, C. E. Meagher, J. K. O'Rourke, James Brennan, Thomas Prendergast, M. J. Walsh, John J. O'Neill, H. A. Gallway, Hugh Daly, James A. Canty, Dr. J. B. Sullivan, Ed F. Murphy - $5 — Thomas M. Keely, Burt Monahan, Thomas M. Clark, John Helehan, James T. Finlan, M. V. Conroy, Judge Doran, Pat Scanlan, James Cummins, James Connolly, T. F. Nolan, Jack Connolly, **J. J. McCaffery $3**, Dr. Keenan, J. J. McCaffrey, Bessette-Stork Co., J. H. Rowe, D. P. O'Conor, **James J. Murphy**, R. M. Kavanagh, Jerry Shea, Thomas Driscoll, J. J. Harrington, John Quilty, L. P. Donovan, Jerry Flannigan, J. V. Dwyer, J. B. Mulcahy, Jerry Mullins, John McBarron, Pat J. Wallace, Brophy Grocery Co., Dr. R. C. Monahan, L. D. Heilbronner, Rauh & Richter, Dr. Hannifan, Dr. P. H. McCarthy, George A. McDonald - $2.50 — J. L. Kavanagh ARCHIVE SIGNIFICANCE. (a) **JJM gives $5 to the 1912 Irish Home Rule fund** — concrete documentary evidence of his financial contribution to the Irish Home Rule cause, three years after his Division 2 presidency and 10 months before his county-president election. The amount is modest (he is at a $5 tier alongside many AOH activists; the $25–50 tier is the merchant-class Brophy / Gallagher / O'Meara, and the $250 from John D. Ryan is the corporate-level standout). (b) **John D. Ryan's $250 contribution** is the largest by a 5x margin — Ryan was president of Anaconda Copper Mining at the time. ACM corporate money in the Irish parliamentary fund 1912. (c) Cornelius F. Kelley ($50), the future ACM president and 1911 Silver Bow Club banquet "Our Country" speaker, donates at the second tier. (d) **The same Patrick Conlon, James H. Lynch, Charles H. Gallagher names recur** as soliciting committee — these are the structural Butte Home-Rule organisers. (e) The Symon's Dry Goods Co. (the future Symon's of Butte, a major women's- apparel competitor to Murphy-Softley after 1920) at the $50 corporate tier — useful for the women's-fashion/retail chapter. Year of clipping (Dec 1912) is significant: the third Home Rule Bill was passed by the British House of Commons in January 1913 (one month after this clipping), to be defeated by the House of Lords. The Butte fund-drive is timed precisely to the political moment.

People

James Joseph "James J." Murphy (b. 1883 Ardgroom; d. 1938 LA)(as printed: James J. Murphy)
role: home rule fund donor 5 dollars · family confidence: 10 flag

Also mentioned

John D. Ryan · top_donor_250_dollars
President of Anaconda Copper Mining (ACM) 1909-1933, by 1912 already the most powerful corporate executive in Montana. His $250 donation is the largest in the list by 5x — confirms ACM-Irish-American financial alignment with Home Rule.
C. F. Kelley · donor_50_dollars
Cornelius F. Kelley — ACM legal counsel, future ACM president. Second-tier donor.
A. J. Davis · donor_50_dollars
John J. O'Meara · donor_50_dollars_and_soliciting_committee
M. J. Connell Co. · corporate_donor_50_dollars
T. J. Nerny · donor_50_dollars
Symon's Dry Goods Co. · corporate_donor_50_dollars
Future Symon's of Butte women's-apparel store. At $50 in 1912 it's already a substantial Butte retailer.
Patrick Conlon · soliciting_committee_donor_25
James H. Lynch · soliciting_committee_donor_25
Distinct from Judge Jeremiah J. Lynch — James H. is the soliciting-committee Lynch.
Charles H. Gallagher · soliciting_committee_donor_25
P. J. Brophy · soliciting_committee_donor_25
Mrs. M. Caplice Rockwood · donor_25_dollars
First female donor in the published list, at the $25 tier.
T. J. Walker · donor_10_dollars
= Attorney Thomas J. Walker who gave the Irish-American speech at the 1914 St Patrick's banquet. Tier-3 donor here.
W. J. Sewell · donor_10_dollars
J. K. O'Rourke · donor_10_dollars
Thomas Prendergast · donor_10_dollars
H. A. Gallway · donor_10_dollars
= Senator H. A. Gallway, the 1914 banquet toastmaster.
Hugh Daly · donor_10_dollars
= the Hugh Daly who managed Gregson Springs in 1912.
Ed F. Murphy · donor_10_dollars
DISTINCT Butte Murphy at the $10 tier. Two Murphys donate to the 1912 Home Rule fund — JJM at $5, Ed F. at $10.
J. J. McCaffery · donor_3_dollars
Pat J. Wallace · donor_5_dollars
= Patrick Wallace, 1912 Division 3 AOH delegate. Recurs through the JJM cluster.
Brophy Grocery Co. · corporate_donor_5_dollars
P. J. Brophy's grocery business — donates both personally ($25) and through the company ($5).

Places

Butte, Montana (primary)
Ireland (context)

Themes

Story threads

Source type

news_item, list_of_officers

Related sources

Transcription

transcription: complete · confidence high

# CONTRIBUTIONS TO HOME RULE FUND ## Committee Makes Report of the List of Donations for the Year — Much Money Given. *The Butte Miner, Friday morning, December 13, 1912, p. 8.* Contributions to the Irish parliamentary fund have been liberal in Butte during the past year and the members of the soliciting committee, Patrick Conlon, John J. O'Meara, James H. Lynch, Charles H. Gallagher and P. J. Brophy, are much pleased with the result of its work. That the people of Butte are in sympathy with the home rule movement in Ireland is shown by the following list of contributions: John D. Ryan, $250; C. F. Kelley, $50; A. J. Davis, $50; John J. O'Meara, $50; M. J. Connell Co., $50; T. J. Nerny, $50; Symon's Dry Goods Co., $50; C. J. Kelly, $25; Thomas Lavell, $25; F. H. Cooney, $25; James H. Lynch, $25; Patrick Conlon, $25; Mrs. M. Caplice Rockwood, $25; P. J. Brophy, $25; Charles H. Gallagher, $25; Edward Hickey, $10; L. S. Cohn Co., $10; Phil Goodwin, $10; Marco J. Medin, $10; Larry Duggan, $10; Phil T. Dunn, $10; G. A. Lauzier, $10; J. A. Clifford, $10; Peter Breen, $10; Dr. Maginn, $10; John G. Holland, $10; Joe Riley, $10; D. J. Fitzgerald, $10; W. M. Tuohy, $10; Judge Michael Donlan, $10; Dr. Scott, $10; T. J. Walker, $10; Harry Thompson, $10; W. J. Sewell, $10; John Gleason, $10; C. E. Meagher, $10; J. K. O'Rourke, $10; James Brennan, $10; Thomas Prendergast, $10; M. J. Walsh, $10; John J. O'Neill, $10; H. A. Gallway, $10; Hugh Daly, $10; James A. Canty, $10; Dr. J. B. Sullivan, $10; Ed F. Murphy, $10; Thomas M. Keely, $5; Burt Monahan, $5; Thomas M. Clark, $5; John Helehan, $5; James T. Finlan, $5; M. V. Conroy, $5; Judge Doran, $5; Pat Scanlan, $5; James Cummins, $5; James Connolly, $5; T. F. Nolan, $5; Jack Connolly, $5; J. J. McCaffery, $3; Dr. Keenan, $5; J. J. McCaffrey, $5; Bessette-Stork Co., $5; J. H. Rowe, $5; D. P. O'Conor, $5; James J. Murphy, $5; R. M. Kavanagh, $5; Jerry Shea, $5; Thomas Driscoll, $5; J. J. Harrington, $5; John Quilty, $5; L. P. Donovan, $5; Jerry Flannigan, $5; J. V. Dwyer, $5; J. B. Mulcahy, $5; Jerry Mullins, $5; John McBarron, $5; Pat J. Wallace, $5; Brophy Grocery Co., $5; Dr. R. C. Monahan, $5; L. D. Heilbronner, $5; Rauh & Richter, $5; Dr. Hannifan, $5; Dr. P. H. McCarthy, $5; George A. McDonald, $2.50; J. L. Kavanagh, $2.50.

Open questions

John D. Ryan ($250 donor, ACM president 1912) — promote to a person record. Major Butte/Montana corporate figure, deep Irish-American affiliation despite ACM's labour-relations history.
Ed F. Murphy at $10 in 1912 — distinct from JJM and the 1927-d. James J. Murphy. Another Butte Murphy donor. Worth a person record if he recurs.
The Caplice / Caplis surname (Mrs. M. Caplice Rockwood) — recurs in Butte Irish-merchant records; worth tracing.